BMP squads to keep vigil on unauthorised activities

BMP squads to keep vigil on unauthorised activities
Deccan Herald

The Palike commissioner said that the encroachments are noticed in certain stretches of the footpath along Airport Road and Jeevanbimanagar Main Road.

Encroachments and unauthorised digging seem to be hampering the progress of road upgradation and repairs on the road stretches where the work is reportedly in an advanced stage or near to completion.

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner K Jothiramalingam and his team of officials, in this backdrop, took note of these activities during an inspection tour of the road works entrusted to Karnataka Land Army Corporation.

The Palike commissioner said that the encroachments are noticed in certain stretches of the footpath along Airport Road and Jeevanbimanagar Main Road. They shall be cleared between March 14 and 17 with due support from the police, he added.

The unauthorised digging by civic agencies like BWSSB and BESCOM and private telecom operators too were noticed, he noted.

While regretting that these agencies have been indulging in such an exercise on roads where the repair and upgradation are nearly complete, he said that the BMP will station vigilance squads at select locations to check the same. “We will also issue media ads appealing to the local residents to alert us when they come across digging works on the roads that are just repaired,” he added. Meanwhile, the BMP has directed the Land Army Corporation to stick to night-time works much as possible.

Work schedule

The Palike Additional Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that all civil works shall be done during the night and day-time work shall be limited to asphalting only. Day-time road repairs, in congested places like Ulsoor, will be very problematic in terms of traffic and normal businesses, he observed.

On the reported confusion over delay in release of funds by the BMP, Jothiramalingam clarified that Rs 24 crore was released to the KLAC on March 7.

“We refused to release the funds until the final agreement is signed between us”, he said.